Lyric Opera 2022-2023 Issue 12 - West Side Story

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 30 Fan, Red Herring, Inherit The Wind, and She Stoops To Conquer (Northlight Theatre); and As You Like It and Heartbreak House (Writers’ Theatre). Regional credits include Around The World In 80 Days (Indiana Repertory Theatre); Deathtrap, The Foreigner, and Shady Business (Peninsula Players); Romeo and Juliet, Henry V, and The Comedy of Errors (Notre Dame Summer Shakespeare). Film and television credits include Chicago Med and Chicago Fire (NBC), Public Enemies (Universal), Prison Break (FOX), and The Beast (A&E). ENSEMBLE GEOFFREY AGPALO | ENSEMBLE The Filipino-American tenor can be heard in the Haymarket Opera world premiere recording of L’amant anonyme . Other recent role debuts include Nemorino at Sarasota Opera, Tamino with Opera Maine, and Ottavio at Detroit Opera. He portrayed Jim Casy in The Grapes of Wrath in the production’s premiere at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and returned to the role at Michigan Opera Theatre. Recent highlights include a debut as Alfredo in La traviata in St. Louis, where he trained as a Gerdine Young Artist and Gaddes Festival Artist. Agpalo performed with Chicago Folks Operetta in the Cousin from Nowhere and Lehar’s The Land of Smiles . He has been an artist at Chautauqua Opera and Central City Opera and is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music and the University of Central Florida. HOSS BROCK | ENSEMBLE Previously at Lyric: Giuseppe/ La traviata (2018/19). Brock, a Lyric Opera Chorus member, has had solo roles in the company’s productions of La traviata , My Fair Lady, The Sound of Musi c, and Oklahoma! . The tenor has portrayed Almaviva/ The Barber of Seville with Lyric Unlimited’s Opera in the Neighborhoods program and recently appeared as Alfredo/ La traviata with the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra. Brock has performed on San Francisco Opera’s mainstage ( Der Rosenkavalier ) and with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Peninsula Music Festival, Northwest Indiana Symphony, and Grant Park Music Festival. WILLIAM M. COMBS | ENSEMBLE Previously at Lyric: Mike/ Oklahoma! (2012/13). A longtime member of the Lyric Opera Chorus, Combs has combined opera and musical theater throughout his career. From Matt/ The Fantasticks for its Soviet premiere in Moscow to the Beast/Disney’s Beauty and the Beast , the tenor has enjoyed performing in multiple genres around Chicago and the U.S. He is an active voice instructor as well as a National Board of Governors member with the American Guild of Musical Artists. DESIREE HASSLER | ENSEMBLE A member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago chorus, the soprano has covered numerous roles with the company. Recent performances include Bach’s B Minor mass with Chicago Bach Project (John Nelson, conductor), Violetta in La traviata with the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra, Ellen in Oklahoma! at Lyric, Kondja in The Rose of Stambul with Chicago Folks Operetta, and soprano soloist in the Brahms Requiem; Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the Prairie Ensemble; Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony; and in Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass with the Wichita Symphony. A California native, Hassler has successfully competed at the Bel Canto Competition, Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and International Franz Liszt Competition, and is the recipient of many distinguished awards. She currently serves on the voice faculty of the Moody Bible Institute. MARIE SOKOLOVA | ENSEMBLE Sokolova has been a full-time member of the Lyric Opera Chorus since 2008, and has performed various roles and understudies at Lyric in such productions as Ernani, The Magic Flute, Hansel & Gretel, Dead Man Walking, L’elisir d’amore, Elektra, The Passenger, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Showboat, and Lulu. She is the recipient of many awards, including a two-time regional nalist with the Metropolitan Opera National Council, and has distinguished herself as a soloist in many oratorio and concert works across the country. VINCE WALLACE | ENSEMBLE Previously at Lyric: Chief’s Son #1/ The Walkers in Proximity (2022/23). The American bass-baritone has made frequent ensemble appearances at Lyric, and played the Commissioner in La traviata (2018/19) and Court Usher in Rigoletto (2017/18). Last season, he performed in the ensemble for Fire Shut Up In My Bone s (2021/22) at the Metropolitan Opera. At Chicago Opera Theater, he took the roles of Sid in Albert Herring (2023), Tommie in Freedom Ride (2020, world premiere), Queequeg in Moby Dick (2019), and Mr. Kofner/ The Consul and Mr. Lister/ Elizabeth Cree (2017/18). With Lyric Unlimited in 2016, he performed the role of Orpheus in Jason and the Argonauts . CORINNE WALLACE-CRANE | ENSEMBLE Previously at Lyric: GPS/ Four Portrait s in Proximity (2022/23). At Lyric, Wallace-Crane has taken the roles of Shaindel/ Fiddler on the Roof (2022/23), 3rd Knaben/ The Magic Flute (2021/22), Sister Lillianne/ Dead Man Walking (2019/20), Sprite/ Cendrillon (2018/19), and Night Maid/ My Fair Lady